Sunday, October 9, 2011

Syria says Goodbye to Mishaal!

Saturday October 8, 2011

Friday’s death toll
rises to 24 --- Syrian dissidents and
activists storm their country’s embassies in London and Vienna and attempt to
do in Berlin and Brussels --- 14
protesters are killed as pro-Assad militias open fire on funerals in Homs City,
Douma Suburb and Qamishly where 50,000 Kurds took part in the funeral of slain
activist Mishaal Tammo. Meanwhile, pro-Assad troops continue to clash with
defectors in Idlib, Hama and Homs provinces in central and northern Syria ---
Continued wrangling over the roles of different personalities in the SNC
leadership leads to the postponement of the scheduled October 7 coming-out
party in Cairo.

“Violence won the Libyan rebels NATO backing,
while peaceful demonstrations earned the Syrians the world’s sympathy​—​tender mercies that they
risk forfeiting, explained Ford, should they pick up weapons in self-defense...
The fact is that Syria is already embroiled in a conflict that shows no signs
of abating. The United States​—​with allies on all of Syria’s
borders and U.S. soldiers and vital American interests in Iraq​—​has a stake in what
happens in Syria. It’s time for the White House to get serious about the dictator
in Damascus.”

Sympathy without support is leaving us alone to
face a merciless killing machine…

More and more protesters are now carrying signs
asking the SNC to call for protection of civilians and a no-fly zone, as we see
in this demonstration in Bab Houd in Homs City, where one demonstrator also
demanded including Haitham Al-Maleh in the Council http://youtu.be/hmQGHweqfcc The
protesters in Khaldiyeh (Homs City) also hoisted a big banner urging
quick action in this regard http://youtu.be/pfUvRttO__A
This is another banner from Zamalka (Damascus, 32 seconds mark) http://youtu.be/hUJ9L0uWF_k

About the Author

Ammar Abdulhamid is a liberal Syrian pro-democracy activist whose anti-regime activities led to his exile in September of 2005. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife, Khawla Yusuf, and their children, Oula (b.1986) and Mouhanad (b. 1990). He is the founder of the Tharwa Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to democracy promotion. His personal website and entries from his older blogs can be accessed here.